Timepiece



P. VOGT TIMEPIECE Oct. 3, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 2, 1966 M I a4 5 w lrl" v 7 I Q E I 7 i a w 3 Pall! United States Patent 3,405,241TIMEPIECE Paul Vogt, Neuchatel, Switzerland, assignor to Ebauc'hes S.A.Neuchatel, Switzerland, a firm of Switzerland Filed June 2, 1966, Ser.No. 554,794

Claims priority, application Switzerland, June 3, 1965,

2 Claims. (Cl. 200-38) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An alarm timepiecehaving a release mechanism operating an electrical switch and includingan alarm wheel frictionally mounted on the frame of the timepiececoaxially with the hour wheel and settable to a desired position by .acontrol device, a release cam rigidly secured to the hour wheel whilethe movable annular contact member is mounted for displacement on thealarm wheel and is elastically urged against the cam, so that when arecess of the cam and the movable contact member are aligned during therotation of the hour wheel, the contact member is displaced under theaction of the spring and comes into contact with a stationary ringcarried by the frame in electrical isolation therefrom, thereby closingthe switch.

The present invention relates to a timepiece, especially to an alarmtimepiece, comprising a release mechanism controlling an electriccontact.

This timepiece is characterized by the fact which comprises an alarmWheel frictionally mounted on the frame of the clockwork, coaxially withthe hour wheel, and a control device allowing this alarm wheel to bebrought to any angular position, a release cam rigid with the alarmwheel or hour wheel, and a contact member movably mounted on the otherwheel, this contact member being elastically urged against the cam, sothat, when a recess of the latter and said contact member are oppositeone another, during the rotation of the hour wheel, the contact membermoves itself and comes into contact, at least indirectly, with astationary ring carried by the frame of the clockwork, electricallyisolated therefrom, and which constitutes one of the elements of thesaid electric contact, while the other is constituted by the saidcontact member.

The drawing shows, by way of example, several embodiments of the Objectof the invention.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a detail of a first embodiment of an alarmtimepiece, the base plate being removed.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line IIII of FIG. 1, on an enlargedscale.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a detail of a second embodiment of an alarmtimepiece, the base plate being removed.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line IVIV of FIG. 3, on an enlargedscale.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a detail of a third embodiment of an alarmtimepiece, with a part in section along line VV of FIG. 6, and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along line VI-VI of FIG. 5, on an enlargedscale.

The timepiece represented in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises an hour wheel 1having a sleeve 1a engaged on a cannonpinion 8. A release cam 3 is forcefit on sleeve 1a. The cam is, constituted by a circular disc providedwith a recess 4.

The base plate of the clockwork, designated by numeral 5, carries,frictionally mounted coaxially of the hour wheel, an alarm wheel 6. Thefriction is ensured by elastic washer 7 interposed between the baseplate 5 and a sleeve 2 forced on a sleeve 6a of the alarm wheel 6.

This alarm wheel is subjected to the action of a manually actuatablecontrol device only one wheel of which, designated by numeral 9, hasbeen represented in FIG. 1.

The alarm Wheel 6 carries a contact lever 10, having the shape of asegment of crown, articulated thereon at 11, and subjected to the actionof a return spring 12 which urges extremity 10a of this lever, bent at aright angle, against the lateral face of the release cam 3.

A contact ring 13 is secured to the base plate 5, on the lower facethereof, with interposition of an insulating element 14; this ring isthus electrically insulated from the mass of the clockwork.

The contact lever 10 is provided, at its extremity opposite 10a, withan. embossment 10b intended to enter into contact with the ring 13, forconnecting it electrically to the mass and thus produce the desiredclosing of the electric contact. To this effect, the lever 10' pivotsunder the action of the spring 12 when the recess 4 of the cam 3 comesopposite part 10a of the lever; the lever 10 pivots in thencounter-clockwise direction.

The time at which this release occurs can be set by turning the alarmwheel 6 by means of the manually operable setting device acting by theintermediary of the Wheel 9.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the hour wheel is designated by 15.It carries, forced thereon, a release cam 16 provided with a recess 17.

The alarm wheel is designated by 18 and the contact member by 19. Thislatter is constituted by an annular ring pivotably mounted at 20 on thewheel 18. It is provided with a part 19a bent at right angles, held incontact with the cam 16 by the action of a spring 21 constituted by anelastic blade engaged by its extremities in notches 22 provided in thering 19. This spring 21 bears, on the other hand, by its middle part, ona central collet 18a of the wheel 18.

The contact member 19 is provided with an embossment 19b diametricallyopposite the bent part 19a, intended to come into contact with a contactring 23 secured to the base plate, designated by 24, with interpositionof an insulating member 25.

The closing of the contact occurs when the recess 17 of the cam 16 comesopposite the bent part 19a of the contact member 19.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, the release cam, designated by 26,is forced on the hour wheel, designated by 27, and has a bell shape; itis provided with a recess 28. The contact member is constituted by anelastic lever 29, riveted at 30 on the alarm wheel, designated by 31,and which is located within the cam 26. This release lever bearselastically, by its free extremity 29a, against the inner face of thecam 26.

When the recess 28 is situated opposite the extremity 29a of the elasticlever 29, this extremity moves radially outwardly, under the influenceof the elasticity of the lever. During this displacement, a stud 32,carried by the extremity 29a of the lever 29, and which passes throughan elongated aperture 33 of the wheel 30, enters into contact with acontact ring 34, secured under the base plate, designated by 35, withinterposition of an insulating element 36.

As a modification, the release cam could be carried by the alarm wheel,and the contact lever carried by the hour wheel. In this case, thecontact between the lever and the stationary contact ring would be afriction contact.

As a modification, the release cam, instead of being provided with arecess, could be a snail cam. However, in this case, the manuallyoperable setting device would have to be provided with a frictioncoupling, so as to prevent the mechanism from being damaged in case of asetting effected in a direction opposite to the relative movementbetween the release cam and the contact member, due to the regularrunning of the clockwork.

What I claim is:

1. An alarm timepiece comprising a frame, a rotatable hour wheel on saidframe, an electrical switch including a stationary ring carried by saidframe in electrical isolation therefrom, and a movable contact memberfor opening and closing said switch, a release mechanism operating'saidelectrical switch including an alarm wheel frictionally mounted on saidframe coaxially with the hour wheel, a control device for moving thealarm wheel to any desired angular position, a release cam rigidlysecured to said hour wheel, said cam'having a periphery with a recesstherein, said movable contact member being constituted as an annularmember movably mounted on the alarm wheel including diametricallyopposed engaging portions, and means urging one of said engagingportions of said contact member against said cam so that when the recessof said cam and said one engaging portion come into alignment duringrotation of the hour wheel, the contact member is"m0ved and the otherengaging portion contacts said stationary ring.

2. A timepiece as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means which urges oneof the engaging portions of said contact member against the camcomprises a spring constituted as a bent elastic blade having oppositeends engaged in two inner notches provided in the'annular contact'member, said alarm wheel including a central collet, saidblade includinga middle portion bearing" against said comet. 4 w M, ,.v i

References Cited GEORGE HARRIS, Primary Examiner.

FRED E. BELL, Assistant Examiner.

